WIG 2008 will take place in Warwick in the UK in association with the University of Warwick and Rare next Sept. See first announcement below.
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The Women In Games conference encourages research and seeks to promote careers for women within the games industry. Making this career path attractive from a female perspective doesn’t just make good business sense, it’s vital both commercially and artistically.
Modern gaming is a cutting-edge industry on the forefront of technology and interactive storytelling. But for it to become a true sister medium to music and cinema, it needs greater balance in its audience and its workforce.
Even in the industry’s traditional areas of interest to women, such as art and animation, female representation is low – lower still in more scientific disciplines, such as programming. Without women taking on a greater role in the creative process, how can the end result – the games themselves – ever consistently appeal to female tastes? More broadly, what is the industry missing out on through the domination of male perspectives in the creation of games?
Women In Games was established to address such issues. A major theme of Women in Games 2008 is exploring ways of encouraging more women to enter games and increase their prominence across the industry, ultimately demonstrating how the female perspective can provide a rich new angle on the gaming experience. Other themes will focus on the latest game research with a particular emphasis on areas that affect, or are affected by, women.
Women In Games 2008 will be organised by the Department of Computer Science at Warwick University and Rare Ltd, a leading games development studio based in the UK and responsible for such classics as Banjo-Kazooie, GoldenEye 007, Perfect Dark and Viva Piñata.
• Location: Warwick University
• Date: 10th – 12th September 2008
See http://www.womeningames.com/